Industry Q&A: Ryan Crawley, Marketing Manager, Hafren Fasteners

How long have you been in the industry? I started with Hafren Security Fasteners a little over two years ago back in June 2016.

How did you get started? Jumped straight in the deep end starting as Marketing Manager at Hafren Fasteners but have been supported all the way by the amazing Hafren team and have had the opportunity to learn from the experts. For example, knowing the difference between tamper-resistant & tamper-proof fasteners, many people mistakenly believe they are the same thing, but that is not the case… It’s all about degrees of security; “Resistant” means it’s hard or difficult to remove a fastening device, without the correct tool. “Proof” means it’s next to impossible, without resorting to drilling or cutting the fastener out (which will likely make a lot of noise and attract attention). It’s important to know what fastener type you require for your application.

What roles have you had throughout your career? I’ve had a number of roles but have been a marketeer for over a decade.

Who has had the biggest influence on your career? Des Morrison was an MD of one of the companies I used to work for and he gave me my first real marketing opportunity. He had a phrase for when a project wasn’t going as fast as I’d like: “You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind.” So often, we spend so much time thinking about what we are going to do, sometimes you just have to roll your sleeves up and get on with it!

What’s the best thing about working in the industry? Working with an expert team of passionate people; at Hafren Fasteners our vision goes beyond distributing security fasteners, our goal is to stamp out the effects of theft globally. When you examine the reasons we use security fasteners, you’ll find a broad range of industries that benefit from the increased protection that security fasteners provide. Some are highly sensitive industries where people’s lives are at stake. Others are less sensitive but can suffer needless loss from unwanted tampering/access.

What have been the biggest changes you’ve seen? The growth and popularity of security fasteners. Even in the short time I have been in the industry I have seen the security fasteners market change from a niche/speciality item to essential everyday element used by manufactures and specifiers globally. Our biggest challenge was that security fasteners were largely unknown to end users, but that is changing with awareness and demand increasing exponentially. There is always demand for security fastener solutions.

What are you working on now? Further enhancing and developing our distributor ‘sales toolbox’, enabling Hafren Fastener’s stockists to maximise and develop business opportunities.

How can the industry get in touch? A good starting point is via our website www.hafrenfasteners.com, or our social media channels.

I joined Torque as Editor with over a decade’s experience in publishing. I’ve worked as Editor across two different B2B magazines in the past 10 years and in more junior publishing roles before then, including advert copywriting and a stint at a local newspaper. Prior to Torque, I’ve written for the bicycle sector and the video games industry.